Coating and laminating apparatus



Oct. 17, 1950 E. J. CARTER 2,525,863

COATING AND LAIINATING APPARATUS Filed aan. 29. 1947' 2 sheets-sheet x @m Eff/p5.

O ct. V17, 1950 E. J. CARTER 2,525,863

COTING VAND LAIINATING APPARATUS will Fild J8.- 29, 1947 2 Sheets-s116912 2 Patented Oct. 17, 1950 OFFICE COATING AND LAMINATING APPARATUS Edward J. Carter, New York, N. Y., assigner to William M. Scholl, Chicago, lll.

` Application January 29, 1947, serial No. 124,947

7 Claims. (Cl. 154-37) l i n This invention relates to apparatus for coating and impregnating liquid-permeable sheet or tape material with a liquid composition. The apparatus cf this invention is applicable to the preparation of the Adhesive Tapes" described and claimed in my copending applications Serial Nos. 635,945 and 635,946, both illed December 19, 1945, the latter now abandoned.

As disclosed in said copending applications, liquid-permeable sheet or tape material such as paper or textile fabrics may be superimposed upon a layer of a liquid coating composition and pressed thereagainst by suitable tensioning means to force said coating composition upwardly through said paper or textile material to impregnate the same and to form a layer of coating composition on the upper face ci said paper or textile fabric.

The present invention provides novel appa-4 ratus for carrying out such impregnating and coating operations. One particular feature of this novel apparatus comprises adjustable tensioning means for compressing a layer of liquid coating composition between two webs to force the liquid through the upper of said two webs'.

More particularly, said tensioning means may include a first generally cylindrical member over which said two webs (having a layer of liquid therebetween) may travel, at least one second cylindrical member below which said two webs may travel. ahdmeans for adjustably raising said first member above said second member to tension the two webs andcompress the liquid therebetween.

Another feature of the apparatus oi.' the present invention comprises an eccentric or camshaped generally cylindrical third member angularly adjustable above said first member and movable therewith as a unit transversely of said webs. Adjustment of the angular position oi.' said eccentrically suspended third member with respect yto said first member varies the spacing of said members, so that the lowest portion of the third member can serveY to spread out and distribute evenly over the surface of the upper web liquid materialthat has penetrated the upper web due to the tensioning effect brought n about by raising the first member above said second member. l

It is therefore an important object of the present invention to provide coating and impregnating apparatus of the type indicated including a tensioning and spreading unit adjustable transversely of a multi-layer sheet `passing therethrough and made up of two generally cylindrical members of which one is eccentric or cam#- shaped and angularly adjustable with respect to the other. n

Other and further objects and features will become apparent from the following description, appended claims and accompanying 4drawings which show, -diagrammatically and by way` of example, a speciiic type of apparatus according to the present invention. More particularly:

Figure l is a side elevation of an apparatus according to the present invention, supporting or frame means being omitted;

Figure 2 is a greatly enlarged, fragmentary, transverse cross-sectional view taken along the line Dif-JI ofFigure 1, and showing an' impregnated sheet product in an intermediate stage of manufacture; t l Y Figure 3 is a greatly enlarged, fragmentary, transverse cross-sectional view taken along the line III-III of Figure l and showing the sheet product of Figure 2 in a later stage of manufacture; n

Figure 4 is a greatly enlarged, fragmentary. side .elevation showing adjustment means for the spreading means illustrated in Figures 5, 6, 7, 3 and 9;

Figure 5 is a greatly enlarged, fragmentary side elevational view, with parts shown in section, of the apparatus of Figure l showing the tensioning unit in one operating position; t

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 5 but showing;` the tensioning unit in another position;

Figure 7 is a greatly enlarged side elevational view, with parts shown in section, of the spreadsimilar to Figure '7,` but means in another operatpasses` under a roller i2, to be coated with a liquid compositiondeposited from a suitable box, hopper or distributor i3. The web l0 with the superimposed liquid coating then passes between rollers Il that serve to distribute the coating composition evenly` over the top of the web I0.

'The coating composition may consist` of any conventional coating, impregnating, adhesive,

3 water-proofing or other material. I can, for instance, employ an appropriate solution of any of the well known nlm-forming resins, such as cellulose acetate, cellulose acetate butyrate, ethyl cellulose or other cellulose ethers, nylon -(super polyamide's), poly vinyl alco l, poly vinyl alcohol acetatapoly `vinyl chloride ,\po y, ride-acetate, :poly vinyl butyraloqpoly styrene, polymerized methyl methacrylattor the like. These solutions lmay contain an`\amount of plasticizer adapted to confer upon the resulting iilm any desired degree o! exibility.i

The web /III is preferably made up of paper o r other material more or less incompletely permeable to the coating composition deposited thereon when little or no impregnation of the web vinyl chlo- IU-is desired. When the 'web III is to be impregnated, more or less completely, then the web Ilis made up of materialpermeable tothe coat- The laminate 35 next travels between a pair ot cylinders or rollers 31, through a dryer ll. over a roller 33, under a roller 4l, and is nally wound up on a power driven roller 4 I, which latter serves to maintain the web material being processed under tension.

Reference is now made to Figures L 5 and 6 for a detailed showing of the arrangement ol' the adjusting means for the cylinders 3| and 32. As illustrated, the apparatus ofy Figure l may include a frame or support ge/nerally indicated at 50; The cylinders 3l and 32 have their end portions disposed in two spaced forks Il pivoted from 3|). Further, the fork 5I is so formed that when and I4), where a. web 2n of porous or bibulous upaper or tissue or textile or other sheet material permeable to the coating composition and having the same width as the web III is superimposed on the layer of coating composition distributed over theweb I0. As shown, the web is unreeled from a roller 2l Aand passes over another roller 22 before passing between the rollers/I6 to be superimposed upon the coated web I0.

' The intermediate: product obtained at this stage is shown in greater detail in Figure 2 as including the web II! coated, for instance, with adhesive 25 having the permeable web 20 superimposed' thereon.

-' "The three-ply laminate shown in section in Figure 2 and shown in Figure 1 as issuing from between the rollers I6 next passes between additional cylinders lor rollers'30 (disposed Lat the level of the rollers I4, I5 and IG) and then/passes between an upper cylinder 3l and a lowfer cylinder 32 adjustably maintained as a unit above the level of the'rollers 3II by means described in greater detail hereinbelow. As a-result, the webs III and 20 are tensioned. The web I0 cannot move downwardlyunder the influence of this tension- "ing, but the 'web 20, whenV thus tensioned, comshown in greater detail in Figure 3 and there indicated generally by the reference numeral 35. As shown, this structure consists o four layers: the web I0, a layer of coating com sition 25a,

the web 2D (now impregnated with ating com-` position), and an uppermost layer wf adhesive 25h. The upper cylinder 3l serves to smooth out the 'layer 25h of coating composition, in a manner described in detail hereinbelow. E

' The laminate 35 thus obtained next asses under 'a roller 36 Whose lowersurface lies in the` plane of the cylinders 30, and thus serv" s to aid in the establishment of tension by the the sam/e is displaced'to the left, the arm 53 being displaced to the right under the inlluence 0I the screw 54 (as shown in Figure 5), the cylinders 3I\` and 32 lare lifted 'above the cylinders 30 to anrdesired level depending upon the amount of pivoti g effected under the action ot the 54. In ot er words, the'fork A5I with its arm I3 'forms a two-armed lever pivoted at the point v52 capable of being actuated by the screw'54 to litt the web passing between the cylinders 3l and' web 20 compresses the layer of coating composition 25 between the webs III and 20 and forces the coating composition up through the web 2l. The coa ing composition penetrating completely through he web 20 tendsto form separate droplets on top thereof or, at least, is not always unliormly distributed over the top'of the web 2l. To distribute the coating of impregnating material uniformly over the top surface of the web 2 0, I have formed the cylinder 3| with terminal shoulders 3 Ia of circular cross-sectional corrlguration adapted always to contact the corresponding terminal portions ofthe cylinder 32 which has a circular cross-sectional configura'- tion throughout its length. Betweenvthe shoulders 3Ia, one-half of the periphery of tlie cylinder 3 I, more or less, isghollow'ed out so that the 4bottom of the hallowed-out portion progressively Vrecedes in the manner of a spiral, from a point 3 I b adapted to contact the roller 32 to a pointjlc spaced further from the roller 32 than any point along the line joining the points 3Ib and ile. From the point 3Ic, the bottom offthe'hollowed-- out portion of roller 3l rises'to intersect with the cylindrically formed surface at the point 3Id. Thus, from the point' 3Ibto the point llc, the member 3|, in eiect,i formed with a cam 'surface eccentric with respect to the remainder of the periphery of the cylinder 3I, and angular displacement of the member 3| with respect to the member 32 will space this surface to a smells or greater extent from the member 32.

Means for adjustably rotating the vmember' 3l with respect to the member-"32 are providedin the formtof 'a gear'wheel 60 ('see'Figurs ,i and 9) attached to'one end ofthe Vmeinber 3l ouisde'one shoulder 3Ia; a worm gear 6I on a shaft 621cmausw naledin bearings Il on ofthe iork web establishing a layer of liquid oneach side ll and paralleltherewith; and a hand wheel 8l thereof with one of said cylinders serving to dis--` 'fr rotating the shaft Il. tribute liquid evenly over the structure surface. In operation of the apparatus shown in Figure 3. In coating and impregnating apparatus hav- 1, the screw is rotated to -pivot theiork Il s ing means for formingV a three-layer structure upwardly so as to lift the members 8| and for including a liquid impermeable web, a liquid perbringing about the desired the threemeable web. and a layer of liquid/interposed ply laminate passing betweentbemembers Il therebetween and means for advancing said and 32. t Further, the member Il is rotated with structure in substantially a single plane. a tenrespect to the member 32 so as to space the cam l0' sioning and spreading unit comprising a supportsurface 3Ib-3Ic by that distance from the ineming frame. a pair of supporting arms jpivotally ber 32 at which the coating composition penesecured to saidV frame,` a pair of closely spaced trating the web 2| will be `distributed evenly over cylinders supported by said arms to extend trans--l the top surface of the web Il by smoothing conversely to the direction of travel joi. said structure tact with said cam surface. In for contacting corresponding posing portions If desired, a similar adjustable smoothing acof said structure. said cylinders being adapted to tion may be obtained by making the member 3| receive said structure therebetween to deilectsaid perfectly cylindrical throughout its knsth and structure from said one plane upon movement of eccentrically-suspending the member Il above said arms so that the structure is tensioned to the member I2 on a shaft permittins ldillstment 2n force said liquid through said permeable web of the angular position of the member 3| with establishing a layer of liquid on the exposed surm respect to the member 32. Other details of conface of said web, one of said cylinders having a struction may also be varied within a widellmit recessedeccentric surface portion extending uniwithout departing from .the principles of this formly along/its eifective axial length :for coninvention and without sacriilcing the advantages 25 tacting liquid on the structure surface. said one mentioned hereinabove and it is therefore not my cylinder serving as a doctor member to distribute purpose to limit the patent granted on this invenliquid evenly over the structure surface, and tion otherwise than necessitated by the scope of y means for rotating said one cylinder to space said the appended claims. eccentric surface portion from said structure I claim as my invention: 30 surface to determine the thickness of said surface 1. In coating and impregnating apparatus havlayer thereon.

ing means 101" frming a three-layelftl'lltule 4. In coating and impregnating apparatus hav-- including a liquid impermeable web, a liquid pers-N5@ means for forming a three-layer structure inmeable web and a layer 0f mmm uding aliquid permeable web, a liquid impermetherebetween. and Ameans for ilgdvancinit Bid able web and a layer of liquid interposed therestructure in substantially a 8111812 Pllle. 8 tellbetween and means for advancing said structure Sioningend spreading unit comprising a supnortin substentiuuy e single plane, u tensioning and ing frame, suDpOrtinE 5111181 Pimm-UY mounted 0n spreading unit comprising a supporting frame, a said frame adjacent opposed edges of said strucpanof supporting arms pivotally secured to said ture. a pair 0f Cylinders carried by Said SUPDO n frame and extending upwardly alongside each inet armls t: eiirentd trtssverdvpgtgirwn edge of seid structure, seid arms having e slotted oraveosa sruc can We u rif-v said structure therebetween in contact with one ppe q Set mman and a depending portion a' pair of linde said ofsaid cylinders, said one cylinder having a cylincy rs mounted m slotted portion ducal outer surface and the other cylinder haw 4r, to extend transversely to the direction of travel y A of said nu. mg a rece surface Han extending um struc e and adapted to receive said i structure therebetween, means contacting said formly across its eiective width, and means for d t effeeting pivotal movement or said supporting menden um mmm fm 9mm Sm afm t0 l and said cylinders tu dene ma meme move said structure from said single plane to from said single plane, wherebythe structure is 50 stinion saidfmctgre ling Sailquid thmlgh tensioned about seid one eyunder to force said 9eme e We .an s esta hshig a hier liquid through said permeable web establishing a of liquid on each Side threof' me upper of said layer of liquid on each side .thereof with the other :rnfndrs fgjmed Fnreissld ecenll' of seid cylinders distributing liquid evenly over tra P 0n en e l vel? 011 e the surface of that portion or the structure supsis s me ma@ and mm for mtitmg Said ported by said one Wunden one cylinder about its longitudinal axis tovary 2 In a coating and impregnati apparatus the distance between said cylinder surface and having means for forming a three-layer strucwd exposed Stntfre Surface t0 determine the ture meluding n liquid impermeable web, u liquid thicmess 0f the llqmd 11i-Yer thereon permeable web, and a layer of wn'liquid interposed 60 5- In coating and impregnting apparatus, a therebetween und means for" advancing seid tension and SPrdmg unit for evenly spreading e structure in substantially u single piene. o teuliquld layer over 1me Surface ofa web carrying sioning and spreading unit comprising a support` a Said layer Comprising a suppl'tmilme. Pair ing frame, a pair of arms pivoted to said frame 0f Supportmg arms Pivotally Secured t0 Said to extend upwerd1y along opposed edges of said 65, frame, a pair of cylinders supported by Said arms structure, said arms slgtted upper- Q-get t0 extend tralldversely t0 the direction 0f travel portions and a,dependin8 POTion, a pair of cylin- 0f Said Web. Said Cylinders being adapted t0 reders mounted in said gutted upper portion to ceive said web therebetween to tension said web extend transversely to the direction of travel of upon pivotal movement of Said arms, 011 0f Said said structure and adapted to receive said struc 70 Cylinders having a recessed eccentric surface ture therebetwen, screw means carried by said portion extending uniformly along its eifective frame and contacting said depending arm portion axial dimension for opposing the cylindrical surto pivot said arm deilecting said structure from face of the other of said rolls, and means for rosaid single plane, whereby the structure is tentating said one cylinder to vary the distance besioned to force said liquid through said permeable 1s tween said eccentric surface portion and said web spouses supported on the other o f said rolls determine cylindrical surface extending therebetween for f supporting said web, a second cylinder supported by said arms for overlying said web and having a recessed eccentric surface extending uniformly along its effective axial dimension, the eccentric surface of such second cylinder being adapted to contact the surface layer on that portion of said web supported by said ilrst cylinder to evenly spreadvsaid layer thereon, and means -for rotating said second roll relative to said first roll and theweb supported thereon to `vary the distance from said eccentric surface to said web and thereuniformly along its eifective axial dimension in closely spaced relation to the cylindrical surface of said nrst cylinder, the recessed surface portion of said second cylinder serving to smoothly distribute said surface layer over that portion of said web supported on .'said rst cylinder, and means for pivoting said cylinders about an axis displaced from the axes of said cylinders to vary the tension applied to said web as the web is supported on said first cylinder. v

EDWARD J.' CARTER.

REFERENCES crrla'nl The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Numberl Name Date 422,609 McGraw. Mar. 4, 1890 1,689,354 l McKenna Oct. 30, 1928 1,925,092 Dickhaut Sept. 5, 1933 2,154,643 Steren Apr. 18, 1939 2,301,619 Davis Nov. 10, 1942 2,364,001 schieman Nov. 2a, 1944 2,376,899 Bulatkins May 29, 1945 2,407,549 Gurwick Sept. 10, 1946 l 2,430,459 Farrell et al. Nov. 11, 1947 Bradley Feb. 17, 1948 

